Display device and method of making it



March 1, 1960 c. N. CROSS 2,926,441

' DISPLAY DEVICE AND METHOD OF MAKING IT Filed May 7, 1957 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Car floza N 62 006,

March 1, 1960 c. N. CROSS DISPLAY DEVICE AND METHOD OF MAKING IT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 7, 1957 a; 7 M4144, flffovney March 1, 1960 c. N. @2055 DISPLAY DEVICE AND METHOD OF MAKING IT 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I Filed May 7, 1957 CALENDAR United see o; w

I 2,926,441 DISPLAY DEVICE AND METHOD OF II Carroll N. Cross, Maitland, Fla. Application May 7, '1957, Serial No. 657,628 Claims. c1. 40-120) This invention relates to a method of; making a display device capable of being folded flat for shipment or storage, or erected to a display form, and of which the desk calendar shown and described herein as a simple example is an illustration. The object is to provide a particularly easy and economical way of manufacturing a device of this kind with the resulting production of a superior article.

It is, customary to manufacture such devices from boards and flexible sheet material. By board is meant material of some thickness and stiffness, such as cardboard and binders board, as contrasted with paper, cloth and similar more or less limp and thin. materials which I shall term sheet material.

I have hitherto disclosed in Patent 2,825,516. a construction comprising a display portion embodying at least in part two boards, joined. about their peripheries, but unattached throughout their areas inwardly thereof. CO- operating with this assemblage was a leg or easel prop which could be folded fiat againstthe assemblage or swung out at an angle to support the same, andassociated with this prop there was a tongue, the end of which entered an opening in the adjacent board and, when the parts. were folded, slid up in thespace between the ,two boardsof the display portion. When the leg was opened out an engagement between the end of the tongue. with the margins of the opening which received'the same prevented its complete withdrawal under ordinary circumstances, although it could be torn loose by overpowering force. To assemble the parts of such a structure it was, neces sary to guide the tongue through the opening and into the. space between the two boards and then fold the leg Patented Mar. .1, 1960 Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively front and rear views on a larger scale of a device made from the blank of Fig 8.

In the drawings I have shown by way of example a desk calendar of'exceedingly simple design, which serves as an example of the invention both as an article and in its method of manufacture and, referring to Figs. 1 and 2 will be seen as comprising a main panel 10 constituting a display surface (on which a calendar pad 12 is here mounted) and which may be suitably decorated or imprinted with legends in the space above the calendar, and it also comprises a leg 14 hingedadjacent the top edge of the panel and adapted to be opened out to the stock, conveniently in the same operation by whichthe cuts and scorings now to be referred to are made. This blank is partially severed along two parallel lines 20, to delineate the three panel portions which it is convenient to call a front panel or board 22, an interdown flat. This operation performed after the two boards above referred to were joined. required considerable finger skill and dexterity. When such. display de: vices are producedxin large editions the labor cost is much enhanced. The present invention provides for avoiding the necessity of this fussy manipulation.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a perspective of a desk calendar illustrative of the invention; 7

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof on a somewhat larger scale;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a partially processed blank from which the device is made;

Fig. 4 illustrates an intermediate. stage of afurther handlingstep involving: the blank of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5. is an end' view illustrating the covering of the H blank by flexible material;

Fig. 6 is a rear view showing the completed article after a further cutting operation to be described with par-ts broken away;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary central vertical section of'tlie .closed device on the line 7--7 of Fig. 6', but not toscale, 'thethickness of the elements. being greatly exag gerated' for clearness; I

Fig. 8. is a plan view ofa part1y-=processedi blanle-of a modified form ofthe device; and

mediate panel 24, and a rear panel 26, all, in the example shown, being of equal size. The partial severance lines 20 herein shown consist of a central slit extending across the major portion of the width of the parts and two parts at the extremities each of 'which consists of a row of perforations, leaving joining parts so that the three panels are held together but may be easily folded together in zigzag, divided by the hinge lines provided by the lines of partial severance. After such folding the three panels lie together, fiat, in superposed relation. Conveniently at the same time, the tongue 16 is cut from the rear panel 26 entirely within the periphery thereof by through cuts around three sides of the tongue and by a score or partial cut at one end 28 leaving the tongue attached to .the main body of the panel 26 by a hinge. The tongue 16, desirably T-shaped, is shown.

with anv enlarged cross head 30. In the. present instance there is also formed a potential line of hinge in the panel 26 by a slot (or slit) 32 cut therein parallel to the adjacent hinge line20, and which may coincide with the cut forming the. distal end of the tongue 16. If the tongue were extended somewhat beyond the line of slot 32 as seen in the figures, the. slot would of course be in two partsterminating at the sides of the tongue.

In the intermediate panel 24 is cut a transversely elongated opening or slot 34 through which the end of the tongue 16-may pass to lie in the folded position 1 of the parts between the forward panel Ztl-and the intermediate panel 24 as illustrated in Fig. 7. The operation will be clearer as the description proceeds. The main portion of this slot 34 is of sufficient width to pass the head 30 of the tongue, but it has an extension 36 of lesser width providing shoulders which will engage behind the shoulders of the head 30.

The blank formed in the manner shown in Fig. 3 by a single stroke of a suitable die in muchless time than has been required to read the fo'regoingdescription, may now be picked up-and folded in zigzag as illustrated in Fig. 4 and as incident to this folding operation the tongue 16"may be deflected out of the plane of the panel as shown and guided through the slot 34 in panel 24. There. is no obstruction in theopposite side of the 'panel while this-is being done and it is easily accomplished as incident to the folding movement which continues beyond the position of Fig. 4 until the three panels lie flatwise one above the other, with the end of the tongue 16 now I disposed in the space between the panels 22 and 24.

At least the panels 22 and 24 are then secured together adjacent their outer peripheries leaving the. center portions of these panels separate. In the constructionshownin Figs. 1-6 (see especially Fig. flexible sheet material 38 such, for example as paper leatherette, is applied as a binding embracing and holding together the edges of all three panels throughout their periphery, and in the present instance extending over the back panel 26. The application of this binding and its folding is easily effected by machine. Unless the front of panel 22 is finished it will ordinarily be covered over as by means of a piece 40 of flexible sheet material or heavier finished stock as may be desired, forming the exposed surface of the display device in its simplest form. This may be imprinted and a calendar pad 12 may be attached, and I have herein shown such a'pad simply stapled in place, although this has the disadvantage of exposing the ends of the staples at the rear of the structure as seen in Fig. 6. More elaborate means of attaching the calendar pad as well known in the art may be provided for, for instance involving the cutting of the panel 22 or additional panels or elements may be attached to the front assembly or to its margins, this not being material to the invention.

When all three panels are joined about their margins by the sheet material 38 it is necessary to form and free the supporting leg 14 which carries the tongue 16, and this may be done as seen in Fig. 6 by cutting through the back board 26 and the covering material 38 along the bottom and two sides of such a leg, the two side cuts intersecting slot 32. This is easily done in accordance with the practices of the art, the cutting stopping short of cutting into the underlying intermediate board 24, although it may without objection indent the surface of the same. Otherwise to describe the structure the rear board is severed along a broken line delineating, in combination with a hinge line joining its ends, and parallel to the hinge line 28 of the tongue, an easel leg. In the example shown in Figs. 1-7 the sides of the slot 32 are bridged by the uncut sheet material 38 which latter forms the aforesaid hinge for the leg 14 so it can be lifted from the position wherein it is nested with the remaining portion of the back board 26 and moved to the position shown in Fig. 2, as disclosed in my Patent 2,405,409. As it is so moved the tongue will be withdrawn from the position shown in Fig. 7 wherein its end is disposed in the space between the front and intermediate boards 22 and 24, but the cross head 30 on the tongue will engage the shoulders at the narrower portion 36'of the slot and check the complete withdrawal of the tongue so that the tongue 16 remains as a brace for the leg 14 in the erected position of the device shown in Fig.2.

In the example shownwherein the calendar pad 12 is secured by staples these are applied as shown adjacent the lateral edges of the boards to miss the portion of the back board 26 from which leg 14 is formed leaving free the central portions of the three superposed boards. In fact, if the boards were of seemly appearance, a fastening of this kind might in itself serve to hold them together but for a better quality product the edge bindings of sheet material are preferred, which may be applied as a covering which in itself provides an attractive exterior finish.

In Figs. 8, 9 and I have illustrated one form of device as described in the preceding paragraph wherein the reference numerals apply to certain parts generally similar to those in the other figures, and have the same numerals in those figures preceded by the figure 1.

Thus, referring to Fig. 8, the blank consists' of three panels 122, 124 and 126, hinged together along hinge lines 120. The panel 122, while roughly comparable in area to the panel 124, is differently contoured so that when folded against the face of the panel 124 as seen 4 V in Fig. 9 it will be silhouetted against the same. If socalled double-faced board is used, differently colored on the two sides, the slightly smaller front board is set off by a surrounding margin of contrasting color. The panel 126 corresponds in a way to easel 114 in Fig. 6, it being less wide than the panel 124 to which it is to be attached and swinging from what is the upper edge of the latter in-the folded together position of the three panels as seen in Fig. 9. The panel 126 has out therefrom the tongue 116 with its crosshead 130, the tongue moving on the hinge line 128, and the panel 124 has a slot 134 with an extension 136 similar to the parts 34 and 36 in the other figures.

The three panels may be folded together in the manner shown in Fig. 4 and the front panel 122 may be secured to the intermediate panel 124 by laterally disposed staples inserted at locations outwardly of the subjacent parts of the easel-forming panel 126, as seen in Figs. 8 and 9; The portions of panels 122 and 124 between the staples areheld in face to face opposition, but with an open space therebetween in which the tongue may enter as in the previous case, and in which it is confined in the folded position of the parts.

I am aware that-the invention may be embodied in other specific for-ms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, as is in fact clear in several matters from the description itself. Reference is to be had to the appended claims to indicate those principles of the invention exemplified by the particular embodiment described and which I desire to secure by Letters Patent.

I claim: i

1. In the manufacture of a folding display device of the kind described a method characterized by the followmg steps; cutting a slot'in a first board substantially parallel to a margin thereof; cutting a tongue from a second board to bend outwardly therefrom along a base line substantially parallel to a margin thereof; deflecting the tongue about said line out of the plane of the second board, through an angle not greater than passing the deflected end of the tongue through the slot of the first board to extend over the further face of the board in a location outward of the slot and releasing it for movement back toward its original plane while at the same time bringing the two boards together in face to face relationship of the areas thereof outward of the slot and tongue; then superposing a third board on the exposed face of the first board completely to overlie the portion of the tongue which projects beyond said exposed face, and then securing together the first and third boards at locations outward of the tongue to confine between them the said portion.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 when the first and second boards are joined together by a hinge line along a margin thereof and the passing of the tongue through the slot is effected by closing the boards together about said hinge line. Y

3. A display stand comprising three boards set face to face with aligned lower edges, the three being secured together adjacent margins of the same leaving central areas face to face but free of one another, the intermediate board having a slot spaced inwardly from one edge of the area between the front and intermediate boards and opening to the space between them, the free central area of the rear board being severed along a broken line and having a hinge between the extremities of the broken line to provide a movable easel leg, the body of said leg having atongue cut therefrom, said tongue being hinged at its inner end at a location remotecfrom the slot and having a free end passing through the said slot into the space between the faces of the front andintermediateboards and; in the closed position of said parts extending.

toward the boundary of said space which corresponds to said one edge. the free end of-the tongue having means cooperating with the portions of the front and intermediate boards adjacent the slot to resist complete withdrawal of the tongue when the leg is swung outward, the leg when closed fitting within the marginal parts of the rear board with the rear faces of those marginal parts and of the leg lying flush, there being a covering comprising a ply of flexible sheet material over said faces, extending unbroken over the space in the leg from which the tongue is cut, the covering being substantially continuous except along the line of severance of the leg.

4. In the manufacture of a folding display device of the kind described a method characterized by the following steps: cutting a slot in the central board of three serially hinged boards the slot being substantially parallel to a margin of said board, cutting a tongue from one terminal board to bend outwardly therefrom along a base line substantially parallel to a margin thereof; deflecting the tongue about said line out of the plane of the central board, passing the deflected end of the tongue through the slot of the central board to extend over the further face or" the said central board in a location outward of the slot while at the same time bringing the two boards together in face to face relationship of the areas thereof outward of the slot and tongue; then folding down the other terminal board on the exposed face of the central board completely to overlie the portion of the tongue which projects beyond said exposed face, and then securing together the central and last mentioned boards at locations outward of the tongue to confine between them the said portion.

5. In the manufacture of a folding display device of the kind described a method characterized by the following steps: cutting a slot in a first board substantially parallel to a margin thereof; cutting a tongue from a second board to bend outwardly therefrom along a base line substantially parallel to a margin thereof; deflecting the tongue about said line out of the plane of the second' board, passing the deflected end of the tongue through the slot of the first board to extend over the further face of the board in a location outward of the slot while at the same time bringing the two boards together in face to face relationship of the areas thereof outward of the slot and tongue; then superposing a third board on the exposed face of the first board to overlie the portion of the tongue which projects beyond said exposed face and then securing together all three of the boards at locations outward of the tongue to confine between the first and third the said portion and including the further step of severing the second board along a broken line to set off an area inward of said locations and including the loca-v tion of the tongue capable of being swung outwardly about a hinge line joining the ends of the broken line to provide an easel leg to which the tongue is hingedly connected and from which the tongue extends through the slot into the space between the first and third boards.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 117,133 Wright July 18, 1871 2,172,273 Chilcote Sept. 5, 1939 2,177,405 Gross Oct. 24, 1939 2,405,409 Cross Aug. 6, 1946 2,454,521 Nichols Nov. 23, 1948 2,654,554 Cross Oct. 6, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 16,202 Great Britain 1893 689,127 Great Britain Mar. 18, 1953 

